It was a long drawn out process, but finally the New England Revolution landed US national team player Jermaine Jones. Jones is by far the most high profile player ever to sign for New England, and a sign that that Kraft family are willing to invest money in the team. That is an important point as many Revs fans were becoming disillusioned at the direction that the franchise was going, but the signing of Jones gives everyone involved with a club a huge boost.
“This is a great opportunity for us to add one of the best players in the United States to our club,” said Revolution investor/operator Jonathan Kraft. “We thought Jermaine was the best player for the U.S. in the World Cup and we are excited to welcome him to New England. Robert and I have always said that any major DP signing would need to make an impact, on and off the field, and we believe the addition of Jermaine will do just that. When we learned that he was interested in signing with MLS, we immediately informed the league of our interest. He is a dynamic player and is certain to have a tremendous impact on our team and in our community. We look forward to his many contributions.”
While the 32-year-old Jones will increase media attention for the team his biggest influence will come on the pitch where he will give the Revs a physical presence they’ve been missing for several seasons now.
“I’m very excited to come to MLS and join the Revolution,” Jones said. “New England is an exciting team on the rise, and I believe I can come in and help the team make a push toward MLS Cup. Playing with the U.S. National Team has given me a great connection with the American fans and I’m looking forward to playing in front of them every weekend. I’m ready to get started with the Revs.”
It will be interesting to see how Jay Heaps plays Jones. Will he be a straight replacement for Caldwell/Dormnan, or will we see Heaps go with a two man central pairing with Rowe, Nguyen and Fagundez ahead of Jones and Caldwell?
